Inspire
by starscriptmage
Summary: They have never actually spoken to each other. The first NathJule oneshot on this site. Written for jinyume's 18th birthday on tumblr. Cover by hichiwa.
They have never actually spoken to each other.

It was true, if you really thought about it. Despite the fact that they didn't sit too far apart, the maximum contact they'd ever had was when Juleka was helping pass out worksheets and her little finger had accidentally brushed against his wrist.

It was a beautiful day, and Nathanael had been in what artists recognized as a dreamy daze of inspiration. The sun painted soft, golden strokes on the edges of desks, on the ground, on the crowns of heads, and the loveliest glow surrounded _her_ \- midnight blue eyes wide with curiosity, face animated, and cheeks flushed the perfect hue of rose. His hands flew, trying to capture her beautiful expression on paper before the moment was cut off, but the tiny jolt Juleka's hand brought had caused the tiny bubble of serenity to pop.

Reality rushed back through his senses and Nathanael had blinked up, puzzled, at the sudden interruption.

Juleka had begun to apologize haltingly, but the teacher had already begun her lecture, so with a lift of her shoulder, she returned to her seat, her curtain of dark hair hiding her expression as she stared ahead. Nathanael had shrugged, and continued to draw, his mind captivated by the image of a radiant smile and two twin pigtails the colour of the dusky sky.

She had her own world, and he had his. But both were half-transparent; their classmates knew they were there, but didn't give much thought to them. Both preferred the silence of their homes to the cheerful hubbub of class. Both acknowledged the other's presence - whether it was by a simple nod of greeting or a half-smile that touched a mouth every so often. But that was all, nothing more and nothing less.

Nathanael did not notice the way she carefully tucked her hair behind her ear when she was deep in thought. Nathanael did not notice the way she crossed her ankles neatly during lunch, or how she always dotted her _i_ 's and crossed her _t_ 's with a careful, firm precision when writing notes. Nathanael did not notice the way her usually subdued eyes lit up in their home ec class.

Nathanael did not notice anything, really, until he did.

Juleka did not see much either, in the beginning.

Juleka did not see the way he bit his lip in concentration until the skin broke and blood swelled. Juleka did not see the way he gripped his case of drawing tools resolutely (as if scared someone would take it from him), or how he clutched his sketchbook to his chest possessively when ducking around people. Juleka did not see the way his usually lowered eyes brightened as lead particles and eraser shavings fled from his hurried pencil.

It wasn't a split-second decision. It wasn't an abrupt jolt as the edges of their worlds scraped together. It wasn't noticeable until they both realized that it was _there_ and it was _something._

Maybe, if he hadn't been so fixated on the way Marinette's laugh reverberated in the room, his breath would've caught at the sight of warm, engulfing sunlight outlining the flow and curve of porcelain skin, of thin, pale fingers, of startled cinnamon-brown eyes. Maybe his artist's eye would've caught the loose sway of indigo and the slight tint of red at the cheekbones. Maybe, that afternoon, he might've experienced the tiniest shift of his heart in his chest like what he was feeling now.

Had it not been for the beginning of class, Juleka would have apologized and started a conversation.

She saw the look of awe and adoration crossing his face. She saw the way he leaned forward, as if trying to drink in the sight of curved lips and shining eyes, but at the same time, hesitant to take in too much at once. She saw how eagerly he tried to pin down the moment in black and white. She saw his boldness and shyness, his excitement and caution, his heart and soul mingling together in the lazy glow of afternoon.

They had never actually spoken to each other before.

They had never given thought to become more than acquaintances -

 _He's amazingly dedicated and hardworking_ , she thought.

 _She's surprisingly caring and thoughtful,_ he thought.

\- but both of them were willing to give it a try.


End file.
